Effects of different plant leaf extracts on postharvest life and quality of mango (Mangifera indica L.)

An experiment was carried out to investigate the efficacy of plant leaf extracts on elongation of shelf life and maintenance of quality of harvested mangoes. Freshly harvested mature green mangoes cv. 'Calcuttia maldah' of uniform size and weight were dipped in 50% concentration of different plant leaf extracts and stored in ambient condition (32±2ºC and 65±5 % RH). The treatments were leaf extracts from five different plants viz. neem (Azadirachta indica), chinaberry (Melia azadirach), lantana (Lantana camara), ashok (Polyalthea longifolia) and cinnamomum (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) while control was the other treatment. In addition, carbendazim (fungicide) was also kept as a benchmark treatment. Each treatment composed of 5 mangoes and replicated thrice. For each replication destructive sample was also kept. The treatment with neem leaf extract gave the most promising result as there was minimum physiological weight loss, maximum ascorbic acid content, maximum acidity and minimum pH. Similarly, shelf life, total soluble solids, freshness and firmness were highest in neem leaf extract treated fruits next to the carbendazim treated fruits. Control was the most ineffective of all the treatment regarding all the parameters.